THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

927-John Lennon-#9 Dream.

1975-Number 23 single.

Best Bit-At 2.09. Only a true genius could invent a new language, ‘Ah! Bowakawa, pousse pousse,’ and people would believe it.

‘#Number 9 Dream’ was the second of two singles released from ‘Walls and Bridges’ the fifth solo studio Album from John Lennon, (see also best songs-solo-473-456-168 and 20) and with the Beatles, (see also best songs 599-456-319-238-218-141-80-51-10 and 5) which was released in September 1974. The song was written and produced by John Lennon, and among the nine musicians who played on the Album, and this track, were Klaus Voormann, (bass guitar) who had also played on the 1971 Lennon Album ‘Imagine,’ and Nicky Hopkins, (1944-1994) (electric piano) who had also played on ‘Imagine,’ and also on the 1971 Lennon Xmas single ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over.’)

John Lennon has said that the song came to him a dream, and was just ‘Churned out’ with ‘No inspiration.’ May Pang, who was in a relationship with Lennon at the time confirmed that the repeated phrase,’Ah! Bowakawa, pousse, pousse,’ came to Lennon in a dream, and has no specific meaning. Pang has said.’He woke up and wrote down those words along with the melody. He had no idea what it meant, but he thought it sounded beautiful.’ May Pang who also sang backing vocals on the track, and can be heard whispering ‘John,’ has also said that Al Coury, (1934-2013) who was vice-president of ‘Capitol Records’ initially protested against the use of the word ‘pussy’ in the chorus, but after Lori Burton, (1940-2021) who also sang backing vocals on the track, and was the wife of studio engineer Roy Cicala, (1939-2014) suggested that it should be sung as “poussé’, as if in a foreign language, the lyrics were kept in. In 1980 John Lennon spoke about ‘#9 Dream,”That’s what I call craftsmanship writing, meaning, you know, I just churned that out. I’m not putting it down, it’s just what it is, but I just sat down and wrote it, you know, with no real inspiration, based on a dream I’d had.

May Fung Yee Pang was born on October 24th, 1950, in New York City, United States. In 1970 she became the personal assistant and production coordinator, for John Lennon, and Yoko Ono, and when Lennon and Ono separated in 1973, Pang and Lennon began a relationship that lasted for more than 18 months, Lennon would later refer to this time as his ‘Lost Weekend.’ In 1973 Lennon and Ono were having marital problems, and it was with Ono’s blessing that Lennon and Pang should get together. Speaking about that period of his life Lennon said,’I may have been the happiest I’ve ever been. I loved this woman (Pang), I made some beautiful music, and I got so f….d up with booze and s..t and whatever.’ In 1989 Pang married the record producer Tony Visconti, (see also best songs 386-302-209 and 118) the couple had two children, and they got divorced in 2000.

Four months prior to the release of ‘Walls and Bridges,’ John Lennon had just finished producing the 10th studio Album ‘Pussy Cat,’ by the American singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson, (1941-1994) (see also best songs 388 and 39) and Lennon freely admitted that the string arrangement on ‘#9 Dream’ is very similar to Nilsson’s rendition of ‘Many Rivers To Cross,’ on that ‘Pussy Cat’ Album.

Throughout his life John Lennon had always been fascinated with the ‘Number 9.’ Two Beatles songs have that Number in their title,’Revolution 9,’ (1968) and ‘One After 9’ (1970.) John Lennon was born on October 9, as was his son Sean, the Beatles first gig at ‘The Cavern Club’ took place on February 9, 1961, and their manager Brian Epstein (1934-1967) first saw them perform on November 9, of that same year. The Beatles first single ‘Love Me Do.’ was released on ‘Parlophone Records’ ‘R4949,’ and it was on May 9, 1962, that the Beatles contract with ‘EMI Records’ was confirmed. Lennon’s first home was 9 Newcastle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool, those three names each contain 9 letters, and to top it all off, this song peaked at Number 9 on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

‘So long ago, was it in a dream, was it just a dream? I know, yes I know., it seemed so very real, seemed so real to me. Took a walk down the street, through the heat whispered trees. I thought I could hear.’